Rhodes 1084:


Nevoulas ek Philadelphuis and his bodyguard are camped outside the main settlement on the island. He had been dismayed at the state of the once great island of Rhodas and whilst they had a useful fortification that himself and Ioannis Kalematros were now besieging the rest of the island looked underdeveloped and neglected.

He had heard fantastic stories of a huge Colossus that once stood on the shore facing Asia Minor defiantly and magnificent centres of learning and trade. Now this mixed race island seemed to have lost their way – from what he could see there were many isolated communities all over the island lacking direction or centralisation. It disgusted him and reminded him very much of Anatolia back in his teenage years, the horrors of those times still taxed Nevoulas greatly.


He recalls the times he had spent as a young teen roaming from town to town western Anatolia. It was a difficult time for young Nevoulas, who was shocked at the completely small minded naivety of the peoples who populated these towns. They would have the cheek to call themselves Romans but freely frolicking in barbarian ways, mixing and frolicking with all manners of colours and creeds.

Time after time Nevoulas was turned away from administrators and governors who seemed more interested in decadence then matters of the state. The mention of the battle of Manzikert had got me sharp looks for sure from the local residents, but they regarded it as something far removed from them. I could not believe their passive feelings toward what was surely such an important event. Even worse my funds began to run dry, my loyal servants and even myself had to scrape together finding work wherever we could find it. It was a difficult life and whilst it would harden me into the man I was today, there was no doubt I was living the life of a peasant back then.

I would work my way eastwards across Anatolia in this manner and eventually I would pick up tidbits of information here and there about the aftermath of the battle of Manzikert. I had been able to realise at least that many of the survivors had been taken prisoner by the Seljuk’s including the emperor himself. It had surprised me further to learn that some of these prisoners had been released and some had settled in Trebizond. I had mixed emotions at the news, I knew now a place I had to get to, to get hard quality information. After several months of picking up hearsay here and there it was a relief to have such a solid lead. But already questions were forming in my mind, why were loyal soldiers just ‘settling’ surely they were now deserters? What of the others, what price had these ‘settlers’ had to pay for their release?

Nevoulas shakes his head clear of questions from his past that he has long since answered as he hears some commotion up ahead. It is yet another attempt from the from some locals to travel through the blockade towards the cities. It is quite blatant that they are attempting to carry food through to the people held up within. They look confused as the bodyguards relieve them of their wares, unaccustomed to the ways of a rudimentary siege warfare it seems. He cannot believe the foolishness of these people, feeling almost pity for them he moves over to inspect the goods, looking forward to fresh feed. The long siege of Rhodes continues.